Apparatus for producing power



Oct. 2, 1945. B7 L. ROSENSTENGEL ,3

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING POWER Filed A ril 21, 1942 2 sheets -sheet 1.

.142. for)? 63 Filed A ii'l' 21, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E fw Q ifllnlllli i N F Oct. 2- 1945. B. ROSENSTENGEL APPARATUS FOR PRODUCINGPOWER Patented Oct. 2, 1945 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING POWER BernardLeo Rosenstengel, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Application April 21,1942, Serial In Australia August 4, 1941 5 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for producing power, without theexpenditure of fuel.

For the purpose of describing the invention in a practical application,it will hereinafter be considered as applied to the doing of usefulworkas a result of the fore and aft pitching of a vessel, such as a shipat sea.

Accordin to the invention the surging back and forth of a liquid inconsequence of the pitching movement of a vessel is utilized toinfluence floats or pistons, and thus produce power which can beutilized to do useful Work. 1

In carrying the invention into practical effect, a pipe or pipes ofsuitable cross-sectional dimensions, is or are laid in a suitableposition, for example through lightening holes in the girders in thebottom, longitudinally and preferably centrally of the vesseleand is orare supported upon a suitable foundation.

At either end of the said longitudinal pipe or pipes, tanks or drums,independently supported, are placed in liquid communication with thesaid pipe or pipes, the connections being preferably,

flexible. Within the said tanks, floats or pistons are located. Water orother liquid is placed in the system whilst horizontally disposed, untilthe liquid level in the tanks reaches the predetermined height orposition.- It isobvious that as the system is tilted, liquid will movefrom the high end to the low, and thus the float or piston in the'lowtank, will be carried up by the liquid beneath it while the float orpiston in the higher tank will fall. Then as the system tilts in theother direction, the opposite movements ofthe floats or pistons takesplace. It willtherefore be seen that at each end of the system, areciprocating motion is produced which can be translated into rotarymotion in known manner.

Since the connecting pipe (or pipes) is always full of water, it willnot, at any time, affect the trim of the vessel. It is, however,important that the connecting pipe be proportioned to allow each chamberto completelyflll or empty in a given time, and as 3.61 seconds is thepitching period of an average vessel according to an authority, it isobvious that the relative dimensions of connecting pipe to chamber mustbe such that this period of 3.61 seconds is the maximum time requiredfor complete movement of water into or out of each chamber when thevessel is pitching.

In vessels of approximately 100 feet, the pitching period will bequicker, especially if the vessel is among smaller waves, such as thosecommon to coves and. harbours. Again, since the rolling period for anygiven vessel is longer than its pitching period, the above would; ofcourse, not apply if it was intended to utilize the rolling motion ofthe vessel for the operation of the machine. It appears, therefore, thatthe proportional dimensions of connectin pipe to chamber will begoverned by the size of the vessel, the average length of waves amongwhich it is intended to operate the machine, and whether the machine isplaced fore and aft or athwartship. It is also essential that thecross-sectional area of the annular space between the floats and thechamber walls be correctly proportioned.

A practical use of this reciprocating motion may be made by attachingupstanding rods to the floats or pistons, and utilizing them as theconnecting rods of pistonsworking in separate cylinders for the purposeof compressing air, ump-- ing water, and the like operations.

At the top of. each tank, an air hole may be provided, adapted to beopened and closed by the movement of independent floats loosely aroundthe said rods. As the water, in its upward movement, reaches apredetermined position, it carries its respective independent float Vwhich in turn closes a valve thus entrapping a quantity of air in thetank, above the surface of the liquid. This air acts as a cushion whichsmooths out the movements of the system and prevents overflowing fromthesystem. Below the tanks rams may be fitted, adapted to move, each inits separate casin by the alternate increase and decrease of liquidpressure above it, the two ram casings being placed in communica tion bya tube of smaller diameter.

At all suitable or necessary points, valvular means or bulkheads may beplaced, to control the amount of liquid to be moved, or the amplitude ofthe pressures involved. In some cases, where desirable or necessary, thefloats or pistons may be counter-balanced to provide for their smoothoperation in the tanks.

Where desirable, a further. system may be arranged, across the vessel,to utilize in the same manner, the rolling movements of the vessel.

By a suitable arrangement of a valve or valves, bulkheads and the like,the apparatus may be. employed to. steady the movements of a vessel in aheavy sea, by breaking the synchronism of the rolling of the vessel, andthe wave and roll period. t

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings which illustratean embodiment of the invention, wherem- Figures1, 2 and 3 are diagrammatic side elevaits bottom a pipe B which wouldpreferably be rectangular in cross-section, but could be of other shape,and is located beneath the ceiling passing through the lightening holes,where such are available. This pipe B is in communication with chambersC and D located respectively in the fore peak E and aft peak F atcorrect positions therein. As shown in Figure 1 the vessel A is in ahorizontal position and the liquid such as water completely fills pipe Band a little more than half fills chambers C and D. The c-apacitiesofpipe B and chambers C and D will be correctly proportioned so that thevessel assuming other attitudes, as in Figures 2 and 3, chamber C willbe wholly or nearly emptied and chamber D will be filled or nearlyfilled, or vice versa.

Within chambers C and D floats G and H are respectively placed and thesefloats have upon them axial rods J and K passing through glands L and M.

The essence of the invention is the use of the upward pressure exertedby a water-tight vessel filled with air, when that vessel is immersed ina liquid. 7 The force required to overcome this pressure will equal theWeight of the water it displaces less the' weight of the vessel andother minor frictional losses. 7

Referring to Figure 4; the said floats G and H are shown as guided byrollers G 'and H running upon the inside walls of chambers C and D.

'Other means of guiding and locating the said floats G and H in chambersC and D may be used such as a series of radial plates securedlongitudinally at intervals around the floats G and H, said plates beingfreely accommodated in registering channels in the internal walls of the'the double bottom probably most conveniently running throughthelightening holes in the girders.

With the vessel A'on an even Figure 1, water is placed in the pipe B andchambers C and D, or in channel irons secured thereto.

"The axial rods J andK at their lower ends pass through passages G and Hin floats G and H, said passages G and H being of larger diameter thanrods, J and K. The extremities of rods J and K are provided with discs Jand K upon which floats G and H rest. Floats G and H in their uppersurfaces have semispherical cavities axial with'passages G and H andaccommodate semispherical rockers secured to rods J and K, thus, withthe play of rods J and K in passages G and H compensating for sway of'floats G and H. Small floats O and O are slidably mounted upon rods Jand K between rockers N and springs P and P secured at their upper endsto valves Q and Q which are slidably mounted upon and are axial withsaid rods J and K in air chambers R and R. Guide rods Sand S pass.through'glands in the head of air chambers R and RT and at their lowerends are secured to valves Q and Q, springs I and T normally holdingvalves Q and Q open whilst floats O and 0' are in lowered position.Buffer springs U are provided in chambers C and D above andbelow'floats' G and H. Valves V and V are located inside chambers W andW by guide rods W and springs W and are normally closed by said springs.X and X are plungers on rods' J and K working in cylinders Y and'Y. Acock B is provided in pipe B to open and close it as and when required.

Hydraulic means Z and Z may be provided for V raising'and loweringchambers C and D in which chambers C and D until the latter are abouthalf full. It is obvious that when a wave causes the stem to lift andthe stern to dip, the water in the chamber C recedes and water rises inchamber D'(see Figure 2). In this manner the fore float G descends tothe bottom of chamber C and the aft float H is lifted to the top ofchamber D. This, however, would only be a half stroke of floats G and H;but as the wave in passing'the vessel causes the stern to lift and thestem to dip (see Figure 3) water moves the fore float G from the bottomto the top of container C whilst the aft float H simultaneously moves inthe opposite direction. If the rods J andK are connected to pistons Xand X or pumps Y and Y which have been secured to fixed positions in theship A, the reciprocating movements of floats G and H, when the ship Aoscillates, operate the pumps and compress air or create a head orwater. By means of a motor or turbine compressed air or water pressurecan be employed directly or be used to generate electricity which can becollected in storage'batteries and be used as required. The rods J and Kmay be conventionally coupled to machinery to operate same by convertingtheir reciprocatingmotion to rotary motion. To stop the movement of thewater, cock B is closed, and by a quick action the volume of water onopposite sides of a cock centrally placed could be made approximatelyequal. So that the action of the floats G and H in chambers C and D maybe controlled and prevented from causing damage primarily buffer springsU are provided. However to further cushion the final upward movements offloats G and H, the valves Q and Q are provided. When'either float G orH (and only Gwill now be referred to) ascends, aux-' iliary float O iscarried with it until it contacts cushion. Actually if float G shouldbecome tem- V porarily jambed (which is not contemplated) or' is unableto overcome the resistance of plunger X, float 0 will still rise andclose valve Q. The

essence of the invention is the submergence of float G (or H) prior toits exertion of pressure upwards and float O rising ahead of float G andclosing valve Q enabling air to be entrapped be-:

fore float G arrives at the end of its ascent.

Valve V is normally closed'and only opens upon the descent of liquid toallow air to enter chamber C (or D) thus avoiding a partial vacuumtherein.

I claim: V 1. A device for transforming the rolling and pitching of avessel into useful work, said device" keel, as in comprising meansforming a pair of closed chambers located at a distance apart in saidvessel, a pipe interconnecting said chambers at their lower ends,whereby said chambers when half filled with liquid are in liquidconnection with each other, a separate float in each chamber, a separateaxial rod connected with each float, and a separate gland in eachchamber through which the rod passes, separate means in each chamber forguiding and cushioning the float situated therein, comprising rollersfor maintaining parallel movement of the floats with the walls of thechambers, each of said floats having an axial passage and asemi-spherical cavity formed therein, said passage leading into saidcavity, each of said rods being loosely accommodated in a separatecavity, a separate semi-spherical member secured to each rod and snuglyaccommodated in a separate cavity, and a separate disc connected to eachrod at the lower end thereof beneath the float to compensate for slightloss of parallelism, whereby on a movement of the vessel causing liquidin the system alternately to rise and fall in said chambers, said rodsare reciprocated.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, comprising a separate disc valvelocated axially around each rod and being normally open to allow air toleave a chamber, and a separate subsidiary independent float locatedloosely around each float and enabled to rise before said float andclose said valve to provide an air cushion against the upward movementof said float.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, comprising a separate valve atthe head of each chamber, said valve being normally closed and beingopened by atmospheric pressure enabling air to enter the chamber duringthe descent of the float.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, comprising means for raising andlowering said chambers, and means of variable length for connecting saidpipe With said chambers.

5. A device for transforming the rolling and pitching of a vessel intouseful work, said device comprising means forming a pair of chamberslocated at a distance apart, a pipe interconnecting said chambers, aseparate float in each chambensaid float being smaller than saidchamber, a separate rod carried by each float and projecting through thetop of each chamber, a separate valve in each chamber, said valves beingnormally open to enable air to leave said chambers on the ascent ofliquid therein to a predetermined level, and a-separate auxiliary floatin each chamber free to rise upon the ascending liquid levelirrespective of said float and seat said valve, whereby the air exhaustis closed to form a cushion for the main float and prevent over-flow ofthe liquid from the system.

BERNARD LEO ROSENSTENGEL.

